


MIDA

by madiscrazy



Category: Ambiguous Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Angels, Demons, F/F, Fiction, Gen, Gods, Multi, Original Fiction, Pirates, Witches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-06
Updated: 2017-07-06
Packaged: 2018-11-28 14:44:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11420166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madiscrazy/pseuds/madiscrazy
Summary: A book about witches traveling across the world, and fighting their way across the sea to fulfill their dreams. I've also been working hard to make sure that my characters are very diverse in race, body type, sexuality, gender ect.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is written in summary form. Some parts are more dense than others because I'm trying to establish a certain mood, but for the most part I've been restricting myself to show only what needs to be shown, and then moving on. The reason being is that creating full-on chapters was turning this project into something I dreaded. Doing these in summary form has made the writing process easier for me, and a lot more fun as well.

The ocean was calm and unmoving, like an endless floor that spread into the horizon. An enormous, foggy cloud cover made the air still and frigid.

On the water stood a witch. She ran across the shimmering surface like a morphing linoleum floor, ripples spreading from her feet as she sprinted. She was out of breath and beaten down, her left eye a deep purple, and her steps shaky and frantic. But across the water, alone in the distance, stood a steam driven ship. It bogged along the water to the north, and Grisandole- our tired witch- thought it would be a good idea to hide there.

She slunk aboard, hiding herself in an invisible sheath, and roaming the decks looking for something. She poked her head into every room, opened doors, scanned the halls, and it was only at the very top that she had found what she was looking for;

A family was sitting in a booth together. Their tall lurching father was asleep in his seat, and across from him was his wife, who held against her two children- one boy and one girl. They were, in fact, the only children on the entire boat. Grisandole, still cloaked and hidden, hovered above them. Her face grew into a grotesque grin, as an awful idea grew in her head. She knew, now, she would be safe.

Not too far off, a storm was brewing in the sky. A rainless whirlwind, but full of thunder and lightning nonetheless. Deep within the storm could be what can only be assumed as the source: a terribly angry sorcerer, who commanded the wind and clouds with his palms. He looked down upon a small isle, where a large ferry was docking at the helm. He knew she was there- the outlaw Grisandole. And, from high above, he saw her trying to merge with the crowd, trying to disappear… a last ditch effort, no doubt. He threw an arm behind him, summoning forth a magnificent bolt of lightning. Like Zeus himself, the warlock struck it down into earth, directly upon Grisandole’s scrambling body.

The earth crumbled and shattered, revealing its instability. Beneath the town was a network of caves, and the magnitude of the attack had forced the ground to give in, revealing the tunnels to the surface. Reykjavik drifted from his place in the sky, and descended into the cave work. He stood lightly on its ground, knowing he was alone with a monster. From behind rocks and rubble, Grisandole coughed and scraped from the dust. But when she saw Reykjavik, she smiled.

Even knowing she was only moments from death, Grisandole continued to put up her careless facade, “Hello, Reykjavik,” she grinned.

“Enough of that,” he snapped, “You really have the gall to act so high and mighty after what you've done?”

She chuckled, “What's that supposed to mean? I'm the best at what I do.”

“Murdering? Looting? Arson? The endless list of misdemeanors that you have and still commit?”

“Well,” she breathed, “Aren't I the best at it?”

Reykjavik ignored her repulsive bragging, “Grisandole. Your crimes are too severe for a simple charge. Even if we regained you in custody, the death penalty would be waiting for you.”

“Grisandole…” She muttered, “I told you to call me Dolly.”

“Enough. Tell me, do you accept your fate? Or are you going to try and escape once more? Because I dare you to try.”

Both of them gazed into each other intently, as they both knew there was no chance of escape. This was the end.

“Now now, don't get hasty. I have an announcement to make,” She stepped forward and put out her hands, “You'll be glad to know that I'm turning myself in.”

Reyjavik scoffed, “What is this? Some kind of twisted joke?”

“No jokes. Arrest me, officer.”

This time he laughed, “Of course, of course. You have something planned, don't you? A jailbreak, or perhaps you'll try to choke me with my own cuffs. Well, Grisandole, for you we won't be so sweet. In your case, I have authorization to kill you on sight.”

“That is fine,” she smiled, taking a few small steps towards him.

Reykjavik was unmoving, still uneasy from her suspicious confession. He knew for certain she had something planned, but what?

“Don't tell me…” He realized now; that crowd, her condition… it was something only a dead woman could try, “You've… bound souls with someone, haven't you.”

Grisandole lit up, “So! You’re smarter than when we first began!” She laughed at him, “Though, I feel bad for you… you’re never going find those kids. They’ve been mixed up in the crowd... They could have gotten on a ship and be miles away by now.”

“Yes…” Reykjavik admitted, slowly pondering, “But you’ve slipped up. I now know that there are two of them, and they are children. That means… easy prey for you. You and I both know that I’m your biggest obstacle. You want me dead before you do anything else. When you take control of their minds, I will know. When I meet these siblings in the near future, I will kill them before they even have the chance to hurt anybody else. I will find them, and I will end them.”

“Oh yes,” Grisandole chuckled, “Yes, so smart. Though you have slipped up. Like you said, they’re children. I wouldn’t try to fight you in the body of a baby. I’d wait-”

“I have the time.”

“Well of course you do, but that’s going to take, what, 25 years? There’s an endless amount of people scouring for your job! You won’t make it. You’re old. I’m old. They don’t want a senior taking up arms.”

“I will make time. I will force myself, bind my own soul if I have to-”

“Enough.”

Grisandole was tired. She wanted to live, to kill him, to continue her reign of horrors and riches and dirty fame, but her body couldn’t do it anymore. This much she understood. She bent down on her knees,

“Take me away, officer.”

Reykjavik had more to tell her about his searing hatred, to chew out his mortal enemy, though he too understood this was to to be their final stand. He mechanically raised his right arm, his hand out like a blade, and made a quick, swift movement across her head. Through her neck he thrust his arm, but all that returned was smoke. Her body mystified into soft pink haze, disintegrating her face and arms and torso, wisping around the room. Surrounded in fog, Reykjavik bent down to pick up her hat.

Grisandole was finally dead.


	2. Chapter 1 - Bad Start

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is very long! Though I have considered scrapping it entirely, I decided against it; think of it as more of an introduction to the characters and a set-up for later plot points (as all first chapters should be).

The air was clear, the ocean was warm, and the night sky was purple and inviting. The sea moved lazily through the night, bobbing along a small misbalanced boat. It held aboard only two members; two witches, Desta and Ade, one driving and one spread across a deck chair, each quiet in the presence of the ocean ambience. They were sailing towards an island, a bit far off, though oddly dark around every edge of the coast. There were ships and docks, but no light, no homes and no people to be seen. However, the sisters decided to stop there anyways, since their need to restock was more pressing than whether or not the island scared them.  
After Ade made sure they were neatly secured to the harbor, the two of them walked inwards towards the sandy beaches and stone-paved roads. There were trees all around them, and a single building, but it was open and empty and had long been abandoned. The breeze made the trees crackle against one another, letting out a chilling sound that seemed to scrape up the back of their necks and tremble their inner beings. There was only one source of life on this eerie scape- a soft light shining from within the woods, reminiscent of something larger, like a town or a village. Uneasy, but determined, the duo stood close to one another as they reluctantly followed the path into the night.  
The trail ended surprisingly abruptly, as within only a minute or two Desta and Ade were in the center of a small borough. There were people here, but they moved slowly. They all seemed tired, and unkempt. At first no one noticed the new comers, until a woman yelped at the sight of them. Immediately they were eyed out like something square in a sea of rounds; people drug their children behind them, forced themselves behind buildings and boxes. Some fled to their homes, while other stood still from utter fear. Their agape, unrelenting eyes forced a magnificent pressure on the girls, one they found terribly unsettling. A man finally spoke,  
“We have no money left to give.”  
The sisters were at a loss. What to say? How to respond to a crowd, or rather a situation like this?  
“I’m sorry,” Desta asked, “but I’m not following you.”  
“You’re not…” The man looked back at someone behind him, then out towards the ocean, then back at the girls, “So you’re not… pirates?”  
“No? We were looking for someplace to restock our supplies.”  
The man sighed, as did some of the other townsfolk, but there was still a level a distrust between them. People began peeking through their doors and from behind barrels to listen and watch the strange new people. Ade wanted to ask something more, but was cut off by the villager,  
“Quickly,” he said, “You’ve come in a boat, yes? And it’s docked?”  
“I- Yes?”  
“Then, quickly!” He came up close to Ade, and motioned her to follow, “We must hide it! Before they see it! The pirates.”  
Ade stammered, but before she could come up with a proper response, she was already being whisked away by other men who agreed to help. She could’ve fought back and been more adamant, of course, but the very notion of something happening to that boat was enough to make her drop everything to save it. It was their only home at the moment, and their only way to their new home, and Ade was going to do everything in her power to protect it.  
Desta was just on her way to follow Ade when a different man approached her. He introduced himself as Sarjant,  
“This way, miss,” he told her, “We will explain everything to you in the main hall.”  
Desta followed him a bit further down the street into an enormous log driven building. It was incredibly large and felt even grander inside, with elongated tables and sanded staircases throughout its entirety. Sarjant led her to a table where the two of them sat side by side, quickly being surrounded by followers who had been lingering since the beginning. The doors never had time to close as more and more citizens either flooded in to sit with them or simply opened it for a peek at the action. Sarjant now finally introduced himself more properly,  
“I am the mayor,” he proclaimed, “and I must inform you that this island is directly in the middle of a pirate-ridden sea. It's normal to find a few passing by, possibly fighting one another, and in every great long while, one might actually decide to stop by! It's not too bad since their squabbles usually don't concern us.  
But… something has happened recently. Two of them- the Mapache and Atrevido- had been fighting not too far off the coast, but it soon escalated into a bit of a standoff. You see, they've begun circling around the island, waiting to see which side runs out of supplies first. And whenever one catches sight of the other, they fight! Because of them, none of our ships can leave, and none of our neighbors can enter. We're slowly running out of essential resources. And not to mention, they already took their turns looting the island for their own purposes. It's been chaos here; everyone is too terrified to roam the coasts or check on our ships. They're a dangerous bunch, and unfortunately we had to learn that the hard way.”  
“That's terrible!” Desta exclaimed, “It’s plain sick.”  
“Yes,” sighed Sarjant, “We've sent for the neighboring island, and they've agreed to send in their navy to help drive them out.”  
Desta stopped him, “Wait… If they're circling constantly, and no one can come out or in, how come we were able to dock?”  
“Well… I suppose your ship was small enough- and also happened to be sailing by at just the right moment- to sneak past their patrol. But I assure that was sheer luck, and I would definitely implore you not to try it again.”  
“So what you're saying is… we're stuck here.”  
“I'm afraid so.”  
Just then, the doubled doors flung open; Ade had fought her way through the crowd and into the meeting hall, looking for Desta. Desta called her over, and the two of them met at her chair,  
“Ade! Did you hear? About the-”  
“The pirates? Yes. The boat’s been beached and hidden.”  
“That’s great. They’ve been trapped here for-”  
“I know, a few days now.”  
“Oh come on, let me tell it!”  
“Um, ladies,” Sarjant interrupted, “I understand that your boat has been hidden? Beneath the trees and brush, right? I’d hate to force you to sleep there in the damp, cold forest. I’d gladly welcome you to stay in my home until this whole ordeal is settled.”  
“Oh, hear that?” Desta smiled.  
But Ade pulled her away, “I don’t know,” she said, “I don’t think we should stay with someone we’ve just met.”  
“Oh, please. He’s the mayor! Not to mention, you could just… look at him- you know, in that way that you do- and see if he means any harm.”  
Ade pouted at Desta’s remark as her sister turned and took up Sarjant’s offer. He led them through the people and towards the back of the room, through the door and into the night again. The town didn’t seem as scary, now, and people were much more warm towards the sisters than they had been before. Fear had made them anxious and suspicious, but the mayor helped them all feel a bit more relaxed.  
He led them to a small house, tucked away behind the rest and buried beneath a burly, lopsided tree. Smoke puffed from the tiny chimney, and when he opened the door for them, a wall of heat wafted into their faces. The inside was small, but felt cozy instead of cramped. The kitchen and the living room morphed together into one long hall, tightly packed with furniture, blankets, a table and miscellaneous homely items. Sarjant’s wife was seen for only a brief moment to wave hello before retreating to the back to tend to her child. Sarjant mentioned something about how their baby became increasingly fussy at night time, smiling as he organized a stack of comforters for his guests. He laid out layers upon the floor, and pillows and blankets on the sitting area.  
“Hungry?” He asked,  
“No, thank you, we ate.”  
“Well, if you need anything, please help yourselves. There’s plenty in the fridge. I have to get some rest- I’ve got meetings in the morning, and a town seminar…- oh, and the bathroom is just down the hallway.”  
“Thank you so much, Sarjant. Goodnight.”  
“Of course,” Sarjant beamed, “Goodnight.”  
Desta wrapped herself up on the couch, and Ade stole up the floor. The two of them smiled at the childish memories the situation presented to them as they curled into their quilts and silently drifted into sleep. That is, until Desta decided to interrupt,  
“Ade.”  
“...What?”  
“Was he evil?”  
Ade chuckled and rolled into her covers, “No,” she smiled, “He wasn’t.”  
* * *  
The morning came slowly, revealing a thick fog that wrapped up the entire island and beyond. Desta awoke early, and found the house empty and still. She folded her blankets and put them on the couch neatly before stepping over Ade's snoring body, and making her way to the door. She slipped out, walking lightly so as not to wake anyone, and slid into town unnoticed.  
It was at that moment, on the opposite side of the island, a drastic event was taking place. A man was standing firmly with his family, gripping them tightly as the four of them watched the horizon. Out into the ocean was a lonely ship, enormous in size, yet nearly unmoving. A smaller boat, only large enough for a few people, was rowing towards them. There was only one person was aboard that boat; a woman, irritated and powerful, and she was obviously unhappy that she had to be here standing with these folk.  
The family trembled as she spoke, “So. What did you want?”  
The father spoke for all of them, “We… uh, we want to leave.”  
“What?”  
“In exchange for this…” he motioned to a large sack at his feet. He released his wife for a moment to open to bag, revealing it was full of necklaces, pots, and various items of value, “... we'd like passage to the nearest island.”  
“So after looting your homes, and making it excruciatingly clear that if we found out you hid anything from us, we'd kill you…”  
“ Well, I-”  
“...you decide to call us, and personally tell us that you disobeyed our orders? A literal death sentence?”  
He was silent. He stopped for a moment, “Please, miss,” he begged, “We can't take living here anymore… We understand you plan to… well, decimate us.”  
She furrowed a brow, “What do you mean?”  
“I know what this really is. It’s a turf war. You’re fighting over who gets to take our homes and money.”  
“And… you’re betting on the fact that we win?  
“...Yes.”  
“And you want me to spare you, and only you?”  
“I… suppose.”  
The woman smirked at his tenacity as she considered the offer. She looked away at her ship, as if to ask for its opinion, before leaning in close beside him to retie the sack,  
“Well then,” she chuckled, “You’d better start referring to me as Rogue instead of ‘miss’.”  
* * *  
Nothing moved within the town boundaries. The shops had been closed, and now there was no reason to get up and stroll at ungodly hours. Desta soon became bored in her wandering, and let her curiosity take force as she begun a trample through the brush and into the surrounding woods. But again, in only moments, the trees disappeared and she was pushed abruptly into the sandy banks of the oceanline. It grasped the coast so tightly that at high tide, the bushes and trunks would likely be buried beneath the waves. Desta stayed closely behind the branches so that if some ship were to pass by, she would be hidden and tucked away. But the morning air felt good on her skin, and the sun that morphed through the clouds and onto the beach was soft and warm.  
Desta glanced downwards at the miniature crests that split apart on the coast below. There were imprints on the sand, footprints it seemed, laid out sloppily and hastily. They led outwards, then into the water. There were a lot of them. Who were they? It must have been recent. The prints wouldn’t have remained here overnight. Were they okay? Were they pirates? Perhaps… pirates disguised as people?  
Her thoughts ran a bit rampant until her gaze landed upon a woman. She was wearing something golden around her wrists and ears, which glared directly into her eyes. Desta trudged over to her, calling out,  
“Hey! You!”  
The woman jumped, and whipped her neck around.  
“Sorry,” Desta said, walking from the brush and onto the beach to join her, “I didn’t mean to scare you.”  
She tucked a bit of hair behind her ear, “That’s alright,” she assured her.  
“What are you doing out here?”  
“Looking at the water.”  
“But… the pirates will see you.”  
“I’ve only been here a moment. I’m going to go back.”  
“I just don’t want you to get hurt or anything.”  
“I’ll be alright.”  
“What’s your name?”  
“Rogue.”  
“Nice, I’m Desta.”  
Desta stopped for a moment, and noticed a boat sitting beneath the branches. It was only a few feet from where they stood and was somewhat wet. She assumed it was just the dew, or perhaps leftover from high tide.  
“What is that? A boat? Is it yours?”  
“Yes. I used to ride it before the pirates came.”  
“Oh.”  
“I do miss it.”  
“I see. Well. You don’t have to worry, I hear that the navy is coming. They’re gonna fix it.”  
“The navy is coming? What navy?”  
“I don’t know… the mayor said from an island. A neighboring island. I’m sorry, I don’t really know.”  
“That’s alright,” She smiled, “Thank you for telling me. It makes me feel a bit better.”  
“No problem,” Desta said, though she wondered… Didn’t everyone already know that?  
* * *  
Ade was awake now. Walking through town, walking with purpose, knowing exactly where she was going. There were eyes on her face- new eyes, a second set plastered beneath the first, and they moved at the same intervals as the originals. Whilst usually hidden, they served a great purpose; finding things that were lost. And in only a few minutes, Ade had found it. She stood in the trees, though they grew in the sand. She wasn’t very well hidden, and neither was her sister, Desta. She was lazing about, lying in the dust and enjoying the sun.  
“Desta, get out of there.”  
She groaned and stretched, digging her hair into the sand. Ade grimaced at the thought of her gritty scalp.  
“Get up, you need a shower.”  
Desta was ignoring her, “Hey, did you see where that cute girl went?”  
“No. What girl?”  
“Some girl. She was on the beach. She was cute.”  
“No. I didn’t see anyone.”  
Ade pulled her from the ground, and Desta began to dust herself off. They walked inland into the safety of the forest coverage, and begun walking through the village, happy to see that there actually were shops open. Though, not very many; the gorcers, mechanics or blacksmiths were the only places open. Desta seemed upset with how things were panning out. She stopped someone walking by,  
“Sir?” She said.  
“Me? Yes?”  
“Yes, um… what's wrong with the stores? Why are they all closed down? I mean, people still need to work and shop… right?”  
He shook his head, “Oh, no… didn't they tell you? The pirates… the Mapache, they came in, and stole everything from us. All our money… they would have killed anyone who kept anything from them.”  
“So, you have nothing? Not even a penny to your name?”  
“N… no ma'am.”  
Desta looked almost disgusted, “That's awful! Sir, I can't allow you to live like that!”  
“What?-”  
“Watch!”  
She pushed her palms together, and then, slowly, pulled them apart. Appearing in her hands was a small velvet pouch; she took the bag and opened it to reveal that it was filled with large, gilded coins. The man gasped,  
“How did you do that!”  
“Magic,” she winked.  
Desta gave him the pouch, “No worries, I have my own. Please, take it.”  
He held it gently in his hands as though it was the most valuable object in the world- and to him, it was- and hugged her. He turned and began to walk back down the street, yelling a series of thank you’s behind him.  
“You know what,” Desta faced Ade, “I think that lady over there deserves one too.”  
“Are you really doing this?”  
“Oh yeah, we are.”  
It took only moments for the rest of the bystanders to catch on, and a line quickly started, where Desta and Ade stood at the face of it and handed small sums of ‘magic money’ to the people. It wasn’t a huge crowd- in fact, half the town was there and there was still only 20 of them- but Desta wanted to do what she could. They had plenty, and everyone was sharing what food there was, but what they were missing was their valuables. Desta knew her magic was temporary; it would all disappear in a day or so, but for now, it worked, and helped bring smiles to those she could reach.  
But in the midst of it all, no one noticed the ship docking off the coast. No one noticed their tents and gadgets and heavy duty boots. No one even realized the two officers, both dressed in dark blue and bright white, walk down the street and into the commotion until they were already in front of the sisters. It was one man and one woman, and the male official looked much less than pleased with what he saw.  
“Excuse me,” he said, “Just what is going on here?”  
“I, um,” Desta was caught a bit off guard, “Well, I was just trying to support the families.”  
“With? What. What is this.”  
“It’s, well, money.”  
“Money?” He coughed, “You’re… giving them money?”  
“Yes?”  
He laughed, “You know that’s illegal, don’t you?”  
Desta and Ade looked at each other, confused, “What do you mean? I can’t give people money?”  
“Well,” He smiled snarkily, “Does it come from an account?”  
“...No?”  
“Let me guess. Does it-” He gestured wildly with his hands, “-just… appear?”  
“Well…” Desta got a bit quiet. She avoided him and looked around abashedly, “...y-yes.”  
“Uh-huh,” he scoffed, “Just what I thought. A classic case of witch-crafted plagiarism!”  
“Hey, now! I’m not plagiarizing! I make it but, not like that! It appears, but-”  
His accomplice butted in, standing directly between them, “Do not talk back to an officer!”  
He continued anyways, “Well then, I’ll have to write you up and take you in. Plagiarism is a serious crime, young lady.”  
“Wait a second,” Ade snapped, “Who even are you?”  
“I’m a second-in-command Allister Naval officer, miss.” He hissed.  
He continued to talk, “I suppose you’ll be taken into court about a week or two from now, since we’ve got bigger problems to deal with. The pirates, you know. Have you heard of them? They’re quite the brutes… ” His voice droned on endlessly.  
While distracted with his speech, his partner began trying to cuff the women. She came up to Ade first, trying to coerce her to come easy. Desta was anxious and afraid; she’d never been arrested or in trouble before. She looked towards her sister for comfort, but noticed something off about her. She was sweating, and acting restless and nervous.  
“Ade?” Desta tapped her, “Hey, you okay?”  
She didn’t fully respond, but instead, grabbed her by the wrist and sprinted down the street. Desta wanted to break away, to run back and accept her punishment, but another part of her wanted to run and be free and to be a criminal, just once. Plus, Ade had always been the better one at making decisions. She had a history of doing things that seemed bad, but ended up being the right thing in the end. Desta admired that, and decided, perhaps, this was one of those times.  
They ran straight through the forest, knocking through the branches and smashing through the bushes. Ade was still dragging her behind her.  
“Ade!” Desta yelled, “Where are we going?”  
But her question was immediately answered, as Ade threw away her arm and revealed that she had led them to their boat. It was disguised beneath the leaves and fronds, which left it damp and musty to the touch. Ade flung herself against the hull and began trying to push it back into the sea, scraping the rough surface across her hands and arms. Desta followed suit, but the boat was massive, and their efforts did close to nothing.  
Just then, a rustling could be heard coming from within the forest; stomping, crushing sounds that only became louder and more chaotic. Ade’s back split apart at the blades- two folds unraveling themselves to reveal yet another set of endless eyes. They stared into the abyss, intently and nervously, and within seconds the eyes suddenly disintegrated. Ade sighed, then laughed at her foolish fears. From within the forest came forth a group of villagers, each intending to help with their escape. Among them, Sarjant stood prominently at the front. Desta jumped at them, but was quickly relieved as the mass began heaving along with them, forcing the ship back into the sea. In only moments, they were ready to sail.  
* * *  
The Mapache took pride in their magnificent ship, one that was able to carry tons upon tons of riches. But there, huddled together on deck, were a people that were horridly out of place. A small family, clean and proper and well kept, directly in the midst of a crew full of heathens. They were the only clean spot on an enormous rusty stovetop. They trembled lightly beneath their clothes, trying hard to ignore the fact that they were completely alone and surrounded by murderous fiends, when that woman again- Rogue- came up to them. She was, again, quite unnerved,  
“You said there was $2000 in this bag, maybe more,” She snapped.  
“W- I, well,”  
“There’s barely $1300.”  
He didn’t know what to say; he was mumbling, “It's… It’s all we have…”  
She dropped the bag on the floor, letting out a large thud, “Oh, enough of your sob story. I’ve had it up to here with your-”  
But she was cut off by the incessant bumping and moving of the crew. They were working fast, each with their own orders. Rogue tore at someone who happened to be walking by,  
“Hey, what’s the deal?”  
“It’s the Atrevido. They’re just around the corner.”  
Rogue turned to where he had motioned, and from where she stood, even the family could see the sails of the Atrevido ship peeking up over the railing. She turned her attention back on them,  
“You lied to me.”  
“No! I-I mean, I truly thought-”  
“I don’t appreciate that. I enjoy my money- my boss, enjoys this money. I told him I’d be getting a deal, but does this look like a deal to you? Does this look significant to you? Honestly, tell me what I could do with this. What would a black market give me for this. This price is nothing. Your money? Nothing. You, my friend? Right now, you don’t mean nothing.”  
He had no words.  
“I want you to listen up. I’m being nice here, okay? I want you to stand up, ok, and I want you to walk with me. Come.”  
They stood up, and without really thinking, they followed her. The father and mother didn’t know what to do, or how to act, or what to say. They kept their heads down, mouths shut and followed sheepishly around the rest of the outlandish strangers. Rogue had led them to the railing; below them was the deep, blue ocean sloshing against the hull. There was a thud- a thick plank had been slung across the rail, and now outstretched itself into the air.  
“Walk,” she commanded.  
“W… what?”  
“Do you want to be slaughtered, or do you want to swim home?”  
“But, our kids… they can’t swim that-”  
“I told you to walk.”  
* * *  
Desta and Ade were making great haste through the choppy currents, Ade steering and Desta keeping an eye on the beach, scanning for their pursuers.  
“Ade!” She yelled.  
“What?”  
“Look!”  
She had spotted something, though it wasn’t the precarious navy. It was a large, towering ship, that seemed to rip open the very sea as it plowed through the water. It crashed through the waves with no sense of mercy as its hull opened up to reveal a series of luxurious cannons and metal workers. It was the Mapache, arming themselves and preparing for a fight.  
But something else caught the sisters’ attention; now, on the opposite side, stood a second ship. Like the other it was big and bold, admittedly not as large, but in turn was much quicker. It, too, dropped down its wooden covers and sprang forth their weapons to prove themselves worthy of a final battle. Two enemies, finally ending a lifelong feud as they now stood only miles apart.  
Splashing from the edge of the island, seemingly emerging from the trees themselves, a small boat came tumbling through. It seemed to be operating at its fastest speed, though compared to everyone else, it was mediocre. It was blue and prideful in itself, acting without fear and towering into the middle of the squabble. It aimed for the ship to the west, dropping a second, smaller boat to go deal with the one in the east. The lifeboat was more like a bullet, zipping through the ocean on a course for its target, though it was quickly distracted. The sisters stopped them in their tracks. On board was the duo from the navy, on it’s way to serve proper justice, but they decided that these girls deserved it more than the ship full of murderous fiends just across the aisle. Quickly they established a chase, Ade and Desta both trying to outsail them as they burst through the ocean. All the while, the pirates began firing at one another. Some hits landed on the naval squadron, others on the boat, and some simply plunking into the sea. But the battle became close and personal, each ship closing in on one another- the pirates getting near for range, the navy trying to board their ship to subdue them, and Desta and Ade getting caught in between them all.  
The hectic, frantic movements of everyone falling together, closing around the sisters was distressing. Ade turned the wheel furiously, though all Desta could do was pace around the deck, yelping in fear every time the boat leaned in any particular direction. Racing behind them was the angry pair of officers in hot pursuit of their newfound outlaws. Barely missing the edge of the Mapache’s ship, Ade swung around the hull, spinning the wheel with such finesse that the boat was only barely able to handle it. The naval duo soared in behind them, however the ocean was wide open and spacious, and the sisters were sure they were home free. But just then, unexpectedly, Ade made a sharp turn to the right. She hurled the ship around, going back towards the fight. Desta retaliated,  
“Hey! What are you doing?”  
“Look.”  
In the ocean, slashing through the currents and grasping at the sky, four people were beginning to fade. The waters were rough and agitated, and they enveloped them easily. Their faces barely had time to resurface, let alone yell or gasp; had it not been for Ade’s eyes, they may not have been found at all. Ade slung the ship around, trying to decide a plan of action, when Desta decided one all her own. She tied a thick, sturdy rope around her waist, climbed atop the railing, and leapt from the boat. She dove down into the water, though she did not sink below the surface. It stopped for her, becoming solid beneath her feet as she walked. She dodged the waves, physically pushing them out of her way, stepping over crests and pushing through the foam. Running across the water she began grabbing the family, using the rope to tie around each one as she plucked them from their place in the sea. Once all four of them were secured, Desta led them back to the ship, pulling them aboard and checking over their saturated bodies. Ade made a run for it again, committing the boat equivalent of “flooring it”.  
Though it was not enough; the naval speedcar caught up with them, pulling up right alongside the ship where they could easily step inside. The woman stood up in the speeding boat, and without hesitation, lunged at the sisters and grabbed hold of the railing. She was dangling over the water as it was flying from beneath her; she was scraping herself onto the deck, but Desta came down to ensure she wouldn't. She pushed her shoulders away, and began banging at her hands, trying to fling her back into the ocean. With one hard shove, the woman fell backwards and her grip on the hull waned. She slumped into the waters between them, quickly falling behind and being forgotten by her comrade.  
He was not going to give up so easily. He locked the engine in place, forcing it to plow forward as fast as it could. He left his place from manning the car to crawl to the edge of their vessel, standing just as his partner did, and making a leap for it. Now his own boat was stuck in position, manless, while he flouted around on Desta and Ade's ship. He too made an effort to scramble aboard, but Desta retaliated this as well. She swung at him, but unlike his partner, he had thought ahead. Hidden in his hand was a small yet deadly knife; when Desta thrust at him, he drove it into her arm. She recoiled with pain, yelling out and falling back onto the wall. The officer laughed as he hurled a leg over the banister, confident that, yes, he finally had them. But before the rest of his body could make it over the fence, he was scooped up, hurled overboard and thrown into the harbor without any resistance. It had been the father Desta rescued, who stood up from his entrenched towels and dripping clothes and wrangled the perpetrator. The naval boat flew in some odd direction, far off from its owners, and the squad themselves were left swimming against the current, trying to regroup along the waves.  
The pirates and main naval vessel were too distracted with each other to care about the sisters anymore. They and their rescued allies made a turn around the backside of the island. Ade pulled them alongside a jagged rocky coast, where they allowed the family to reenter Mallory on their own terms. They only spoke briefly, most of it was apologies and words of appreciation, but the father spoke momentarily with Ade.  
“Do you figure it’s safe now? What are they doing over there?”  
Far off, the three ships could be seen fighting with one another, shooting and pulling and with every crew intermingling on each different boat.  
“I think it’ll be alright,” Ade assured him, staring off with a newfound eye, “It looks like they’ve got them under control.”  
The sisters informed the family that it would best if they left before the navy remembered them, so they retrieved their walking plank, put away their towels and ropes and readied themselves for the trip ahead. They pulled the boat away from the beach, and steadied their way into the ocean. Desta and Ade waved to the family behind them, and they waved in return, as well as the small crowd forming behind them. Each of them took their time saying goodbye to their generous newfound friends.


	3. Chapter 2 - Driven By A Deity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not the best, I will admit, but an introduction nonetheless. To arc 1!

Their boat was in the middle of nowhere; the whole ocean ceased to move, and the water and sky seemed to morph together at the horizon.

Desta was facing away from her, very distraught, while Ade seemed to be a bit more calm about the situation. Desta sighed,“Ade… I'm scared.”

“Why?”

“Because! We're… we're criminals! The police are out to get us… no matter where we go, they'll be there, ready to put us away for good!”

She sighed again, “I can't believe I assaulted an officer…”

Ade was quiet a moment, thinking about what to say.

“Well… word takes a long time to travel between islands. I mean, you saw how urgent the issue was at Mallory, and it still took days before they responded. And then, they ended up only sending one ship!”

Desta chuckled, “Yeah, huh. It did.”

“Maybe we should…” she stopped, “I dunno… maybe we should just… hide out for awhile, and see how things how things go?”

“What? Like, go on the lam?”

“Um… yeah.”

Desta was unsure of how to feel, “I- I don't know… that would really turn us into criminals, wouldn't it? There'd be no going back.”

“Yeah.”

“But I mean, we're already kind of doing it, huh.”

“Oh, yeah, I guess we are.”

Desta frowned at her, “We made our choice without even realizing it? I- I didn't even have time to mull it over or anything! I just acted in the moment.”

She fell back into her chair and rubbed her eyes, “Why are we always so… impulsive?”

Ade leaned over, “Hey, don't beat yourself up, we were afraid. People do weird stuff when they're scared.”

“That's… true,” She looked off into the sky, “Where are we gonna go now?”

“What do you mean? Capital City.”

“We can't go there now! Capital City is also the naval capital!”

“So…? We're gonna let it blow over, then hop on over..”

Desta groaned, “It's not gonna work like that, you know that…”

“It might.”

“It won't.”

“Desta, you were more excited to move there than I was.”

“I know… but, things are different now. We're different, now.”

Neither of them said anything else; they were both confused and afraid of what to do. Their dreams of living in Capital City had been jeopardized, and neither yet wanted to accept that they might never get there.

After only a few hours, the duo made it to another island. Unlike Mallory, this one was lively and moving; there was a large market that blanketed the coast and seeped into the ports and fisheries. Unfortunately, the sisters had never made that supply run they had desperately needed, and realized that stopping here would be in their best interest.

Before Ade had a chance to even dock, Desta called to her and said she was afraid that the officers had spread the word of their bounty. She convinced Ade that they needed to wear disguises and scope things out first. Once on land and covered in unsuspecting cloaks, the duo walked down into the nearby marketplace, and came across a food vendor. They sat at the little counter and decided to order lunch.

They began to talk, “Hey so…” Desta began, “We're gonna just try to ride it out, right?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Well, I don't think we should stay on the ship then.

“Why not?”

“Well… what if they find us? Or see us? The ocean is big, yeah, but there's nowhere to hide, y’know? We'd be sitting ducks.”

“I- Yeah. You're right.”

“I was thinking we should find some place to hide on land; beach the boat and hide it like we did on Mallory?”

“Yeah. Yeah, that sounds good.”

Further up the road, a young girl came into view. She walked over the hill and into the crowd without expression or care. People started muttering, and avoided stepping in her way. She looked to be a young teen, and her belt covered in charms jangled as she walked.

A man yelled from the opposite end of the road, “Deity!”

Heads turned and people fled to reveal a bulky and towering man.

“That's you, right?”

“And?”

“And! You're not supposed to be here. It's Wednesday.”

“I can come to the marketplace whenever I need to.”

“That's not what we agreed on.”

“We? I never agreed to anything. I usually tune out whenever you talk.”

The man was angry now. He went up to her and made himself seem as tall as possible. “Listen here. I'm not afraid of Sydney. I can beat her into oblivion, and I can do the same to you. You listen here ‘cause when I say-”

The girl wasn't have any of it, and kicked him in the shin. He retaliated the attack, and a scuffle ensued. Desta and Ade watched in awe as this tiny girl was able to contort herself around this enormous man. She jumped right over his head, her tiny body zooming by as she ultimately won. The man fell to the ground, defeated.

The little woman then waltzed up to the very stand Desta and Ade were sitting at.

“My order, please,” she said.

The vendor exchanged a sack for the change in her hands, then she sped off.

Desta asked the vendor, “Who was that?”

“Deity. She lives at the dojo.”

“Is that where she's going?”

“Probably. It's just up the hill.”

Desta and Ade decided to follow her back to wherever this dojo was. With any luck, maybe they could hide there.

Quietly they followed behind her; the road was just a dirt path, and hovering above them was a net of orange trees. Desta made the two of them invisible, but this did not disguise their footsteps. The girl purposely ignored them, however, and allowed them to follow her all the way to the foot of the dojo.

It was enormous both upwards and outwards. It was facing away from them, and across from it was a tall patch of bamboo that was expertly trimmed so that every stalk was the exact same height. It was somewhat of an unusual sight.

The girl whipped around, “Alright, who are you?”

“Oh yes,” Desta dropped the invisibility, “I'm Desta! And this is my sister, Ade. We were just wondering if um… We would be able to be… Trained here?”

“Y...you want to take classes with us?”

“Yes, yes.”

“Are… You sure? Even knowing all the risks?”

Assuming she meant health risks, Desta happily replied “Oh of course, we're a dangerous duo aren't we.”

She smiles back at Ade. The girl gave them a suspicious and somewhat confused look, before taking a small step forwards.

“Well, you'll have to talk to Sydney about joining the dojo.”

“Alright. Is she the teacher?”

“Yes. Follow me.”

They began to walk around towards the front of the building, “And, uh, by the way… My name's Deity.”


	4. Chapter 3 - Bamboo Bashers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My first time with actions scenes. A bit muddy to read...

The inside of the dojo was dimly lit, but still felt wide open. There were mats across the entirety of the floor, and bags of training utensils lined up on the left wall. A set of screens towards the end of the room separated the group from a small desk space. Behind the screen, a silhouette could be seen sitting at the table, but soon it rose to meet them.

A woman stepped from behind the wall, and put out an arm, “Hello.”

She was tall, and her hair was tinted a deep, dark blue. And, oddly, both of her arms were totally encased in navy woolen gloves.

“Hello! I'm Desta,” she replied, shaking her hand.

“I'm Sydney,” Sydney smiled, shaking Ade’s hand as well.

“What seems to be the issue?”

“Oh no issue, we were just wondering if you were available to take on two more students?”

“O-oh, yes! I'm always taking students.”

“Well, wonderful. My sister and I would love to join your dojo…” She turned and muttered to her sister, “... And maybe lay low for awhile.”

“That would be wonderful. Please come with me.”

* * *

Sydney had offered them a room, and the two of them accepted. Once again, the sisters hid their ship on the coast beneath the brush, and moved their belongings into their respective rooms. Sydney also provided them with proper training uniforms, and assigned them each their own specific schedules.

It was also around this time that the girls met the other students of the dojo. There were only four in total: Deity, who was the top ranking pupil, a pair of twins, Clem and Jamie, whose personalities and attire were so different that it was obvious who was who, and the young boy Eli who was the smallest and most inexperienced of them all.

During their first day of training, Sydney told the girls that here, fighting was done differently. She had created her own specific style of combat that focused on balance and evasion, and her students were taught how to use it. Because of this, Sydney wanted to let them watch a training session before trying it themselves, just so they'd get an idea of what they're in for.

She led them outside to the patch of bamboo. There was a long wooden bench in front of it, and sitting there were the three boys. Deity and Sydeny stood together by a set of faded white stairs; they were tucked away behind the branches on the left side of the garden.

Sydney turned, “I'm going to do a quick sparring exercise with Deity. You're welcome to sit on the bench while we're at it.”

The girls took a seat next to the kids while Sydney and Deity walked up the steps. They ended at the top of the bamboo stalks; the girls watched in awe as the two of them stepped onto tips of the bamboo, perfectly balanced as they spread out into the arena. The garden extended far into the back, and created a one of a kind battlefield. From inside the bamboo thicket, Sydney pulled two elongated poles- somehow knowing exactly which poles were poles, not stalks- and handed one to Deity. Each took a step back, then begun.

Their weapons snapped with every contact; Deity moved in viciously close whereas Sydney was on the more defensive side. She evaded and deflected her advances, eventually jamming her pole on the end of a stalk, which propelled her upwards and out of danger. From her landing point, Sydney sought to take Deity by surprise and catch her ankles. However, Deity was onto this trick, and jumped to avoid her. Mid-jump, she flung her weapon at Sydney. She quickly evaded right, then right again to avoid a second lunge. Their fight ensued for only a few minutes longer, becoming increasingly stressful as time went on. All the while, there was no solid ground beneath them; only the tops of the bamboo. Every jump had to be landed softly and every movement had to be balanced, or else they would fall down into the depths of the garden.

Sydney was slamming Deity at precise intervals- Deity had to quickly switch her block from side to side as Sydney was bombarding her with swings. But in the end, Sydney was too fast. She succeeded in swiping beneath her feet, and Deity dropped down between the stalks, far into the abyss.

The sisters cheered, “Wow, that was amazing!”

“It's not over,” Clem whispered.

“It's not?”

“No. It's over once she falls to the ground. She's still holding on in the there.”

Sydney knew this too. She stood very still as she examined the movements of the stalks, trying to differentiate what was wind and what was Deity. She balanced her pole on the bamboo, then climbed to its peak and centered herself above the arena floor. Within the minute, Deity sprung herself from the stalks; you could tell that this maneuver took a lot of finesse, and her body had to have withstood many unusual positions to make it work. Her pole was missing now, but she looked to take Syndey’s as she threw herself at it to try and throw Sydney off her balance. It worked halfway- Sydney fell, but twisted herself back the right way, and grabbed one end of the pole. Deity was on the other end as they each tugged for the right to the weapon. Sydney used her other arm to twist the pole, and used it to propel Deity into the floor once more. She put up a real fight, but it was then that she could no longer force the pole away from herself. Deity fell into the bamboo stalks, and this time, she was out.

The entire bench applauded as Sydney walked down the stairs, and Deity stepped out from inside the dense bamboo forest. Desta was wriggling in excitement, and Ade had quite a pleased smile on her face. After a battle like that, the two of them were ecstatic to start learning how to fight like that themselves.


	5. Chapter 4 - Only a Bit Sickly

A month had passed of staying on the island, but Desta and Ade had become unnerved by the suspicious activities of their teacher. She would leave mysteriously at night, about once a week, and come back battered and bruised. It was only her that did this, and when the students saw their teacher covered in purple, they never said anything about it. It had become normal for them.

One night, the duo decided to confront her on the issue. They waited outside her quarters until she returned home. When she did arrive, the sisters insisted Sydney tell them what was going on. Sydney was hesitant at first, distraught even, but then invited the two of them into her room to discuss.

“Well…” she began, “I'm sure you know how the, uh, people out in town don't really like us. You remember when Deity fought David in the market, right?”

The girls nodded, “Yes, yes.”

“He's a friend of Nicholson. Nick’s the driving force of the anti-Sydney committee… haha…”

Her laughter was stale, like she forced it out only so that her guests wouldn't feel so awkward. It only succeeded in making them feel remorse for her.

“Why's that?” Desta asked,

“It's because him and his pals are very old fashioned. They're conservative. They don't think women should fight, let alone teach others how to fight correctly…

When I first came here to set up my dojo, him and his crew wouldn't stop hounding me. I'd see them over here all the time for no reason other than to watch me. They constantly harassed me and whenever they decided to come up and talk to me, all they ever said was a bunch of sexist bull.”

She paused.

“But y'know… In a way, it made me want to stay more. These guys have been forcing their ideas on all the girls in the village, and all these children get to see are their mothers being harassed if they don't behave exactly how these men want them too. This island is tiny. The police force is made up of four people, one of whom is a receptionist. They're constantly free to roam about and do as they please.

Apparently, I'm the only dojo that accepts women in this entire region, and yet I have only four students, and only one of them is a girl! It's because they won't let me. If any girl tries to sign up, they blackmail them until they back out… It's sick. They're sick.”

“Is that what you do at night…” Ade asked, “Do you go out and fight them?”

Sydney chuckled a bit, “No, unfortunately it's a bit more complicated than that.

You see, it… it starts with Deity.

She's… an orphan. She lived on the streets for awhile. Back when I was first setting up my dojo, I was being really avid about getting the women here to be involved. I was hoping to kickstart some sort of uprising, but they were all just too scared. One day,  Deity came to me, and told me she thought  my home was very pretty. I offered her a bed and dinner, and… she hasn't left since.

But her first night was traumatizing. That same night, Nicholson had broken into the dojo. Later I learned he was just trying to scare me and had no intent of robbing or harming me, but in the moment it was terrifying. I attacked him, and he attacked me. We fought. I won, even though he claims it was a draw. Afterwards, we started talking… I kept saying,  ‘What do I have to do to end all this,’ and eventually he came up with an answer _other_ than ‘drop dead’.

Some children had gone missing from town recently, and people were scared out of their minds. But there had been a discovery of a suspicious witch- La Croix- who lived across the lake, and her assistants happened to all be little girls. Everyone blamed her for these disappearances and said that she was turning their kids into occult slaves. He said that he and his men had been fighting the witch for months, but couldn't even get close to her. La Croix had magic eyes and terrifying familiars that constantly drove them out. He said that if I defeated her- and brought back an eye as proof- he wouldn't just leave me alone, but he'd pack up his belongings and leave himself.

At first, I thought he was crazy. I was going to refuse his offer. I didn't care if I had to fight him everyday, it didn't matter to me. But I remembered Deity… I was certain he'd use her to get to me, and I didn't want to risk anything happening to her. So…”

She breathed,

“I said yes. And now I fight her- or maybe him, I don’t know. I rarely see them because their familiars are so vicious. But recently I've been getting closer- I saw them twice just this month. I've been going as often as possible, really trying to get in close. The kids already know about it. They're crazy about trying to go with me, Deity especially, but I won't let them. None of them are ready yet.”

Ade put an arm around her. Desta spoke up, “That's terrible…”

“We're willing to help,” Ade said, “If we get strong enough to hold our own, we'll gladly join you.”

Sydney smiled, “Thank you.”

* * *

Desta and Ade spent two more months there, living as the students did, eating and breathing just as they do. Their strengths increased steadily and their improvement was, quite frankly, phenomenal. It was like they had done all this before, like their bodies already knew what to do and all they needed was a reminder. The sisters soon rose to the same level as Deity.

But they still worried over Sydney. The violence of the attacks ranged from bad to worse, and tensions rose as everyone worried for her safety. Soon not a day passed when her body wasn't in recovery, for as soon as she was able to fight she'd be back across the lake facing La Croix.

The way she got across the lake was peculiar, too. A tall, sturdy stalk of bamboo grew alone towards the edge of the courtyard. It was as tall as the surrounding trees, if not larger. A student would climb to the top and bend it to the ground, tying it in place with a stake. Sydney would lock her limbs together around the stalk, then fling herself into the air and across the lake. Deity went into a bit more detail about it,

“She only goes at night,” she said,  “because that's when the tide is low enough. There's a bunch of wooden stakes in the lake, but in order to keep her trail hidden from La Croix, they're cut so that they only appear when the tide is low. She jumps across them in order to get across the lake without being spotted by her familiars.”

One night, she arrived home totally inept. She staggered to the courtyard where Clem and Jude had to carry her the rest of the way. They put her into her bed where she began to bandage herself. Sydney's hair was a mess and her body ached; the bruises turned black and green as they covered her body like a blanket.

Desta was in shock, “How long has it been this bad?”

“This is the first time.” Sydney replied. She wasn't really in the mood for talking.

“What did they do to you?”

“They just… finally took me seriously.”

They were quiet as she continued to wrap a few sores on her fingers. Just then, Eli came in carrying a rectangular bag. Sydney took it, and unzipped it to reveal vial after vial of an unfamiliar liquid.

“What is that?” Ade asked.

“Platelets.”

“What for?”

“My hemophilia.”

“Y-your _what_?”

Sydney smirked, but Desta was lost, “What? What's that?”

“It's a disease,” Ade explained, “It means your blood is weak. You bruise incredibly easy, and internal bleeding is as easy as a punch to the gut.”

Ade whipped around, looking directly into Sydney, “I don't know what to say,” she paused, “... you're crazy.”

“I-”

“You're gonna kill yourself! You can't go out fighting like this, you're gonna die!”

“I got this far-”

“Doesn't matter, you're still risking your life.”

“I'd be risking my life even if I were normal.”

“Still, I don't understand-”

“Ade.”

Ade stopped talking.

“All I've ever wanted to do was fight,” she said, “That's why… I made my own style of fighting, and why I based it off of _evasion_ . That's why I wanted to make this dojo. I want to show people that it _is_ possible, and that you _can_.

Everyone's always told me it would be impossible to fight or do combat because of what I have, so I made it my mission to prove them wrong.”

Ade and Desta were silent. Her students stood at the door, also quiet.

“If I'm being honest, I don't know if La Croix is tough or if I'm just weak.”

Desta got up from her chair, “I'm sorry.”

“It's okay. I'm alright.”

Desta and Ade walked out of the room together, and left Sydney to go to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope it's not too mary-sue. I just wanted to give representation.


	6. Chapter 5 - is there Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol this is fokin stupid.

Sydney was always a fighter. Growing up, she'd brawl with all the other kids, and wasn't afraid to stand up for what she believed in.

But there was a problem; Sydney was sick. She had a disease, one that meant if she got too big a big cut or too intense a bruise, it would not heal. A bloody nose would just keep bleeding and bleeding until Sydney could be injected with platelets. Basically, she was deficient in the cells that mended wounds, and needed them to be directly replaced whenever she was seriously injured.

But this didn't stop her. She still picked fights with all the boys, and would wrestle with her friends. Bloody noses and bruises knuckles were part of her life. She joined the wrestling team behind her mother’s back, and after being found out, continued to brawl with her wrestling friends behind the convenience store down the road. But Sydney was not a bad person. She enjoyed the thrill of brawling, yes, but she did so in the name of fun and never unprovoked. She was a kind person, just a bit rough around the edges.

Naturally, Sydney spent a lot of time in the doctor's office. She was accustomed with many of the doctors and nurses there and always said hello when she saw them about. When she got older, just about twenty, she was reassigned to a new nurse. She was fresh out of college and only four years older than her; her name was Jamie Hope, or Dr. Hope. Jamie and Sydney became friends, and whenever Sydney lost a fight, she'd go to Dr. Hope for her injections.

But one day, the scientists and medical services of the island came together, and discovered a cure for the infectious disease known as Lemus. The island was praised heavily, and citizens decided to fund a medical trip that would send their doctors around the world to spread the antidote. Dr.Hope had volunteered to go with them.

At the same time, Sydney was trying to decide what to do with her life. What had been an inspiration to her all throughout her childhood, were stories of people who beat the odds, and inspired people to fulfill their dreams. Posters of rags-to-riches heros covered her walls. Sydney wanted to be that person; she wanted to show people just like her that you can do anything you set your mind to, even fighting. She had been looking into rings, rallies, and competitions, when she came across an event called the “Tournament of Champions”. The event was to be held on a faraway island called Monsuta, where masses of opponents could compete for a cash prize.

During an appointment, Sydney offhandedly mentioned this to Dr. Hope,

“I would really love to go, even if I don’t win,” She chuckled, “but I have no idea how I’d get there. I mean, Monsuta is so far away… how would I even afford it?”

This is when Jamie told her of her departure. “Sydney,” she said, “you… you could come with us if you wanted. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind so long as you helped out.”

“Do you think so? You think they’d take me?”

“I’m pretty sure! The doctors love you, you keep ‘em in business.”

“Ha ha, very funny.”

In no time at all, Sydney had been accepted as a volunteer for the crew. They set sail within days, dragging doctors, medicine, and Jamie along with them. During their journey, across every stop, Sydney took the time to get into trouble. Finding the grimiest locations to throw down with the lowest of the low. It wasn’t because she wanted to; they were the only ones who’d willingly fight her. She looked at it more like training, though. The doctors aboard were split on how to feel about her. Some felt she needed to reassess herself, and stop all the fighting before Sydney ended up seriously hurt. Though others felt inspired by her actions, and wanted to see it though.

Dr. Hope was, however, against her rambunctiousness. She was usually the one to patch her up after each fight, and would see the brutality of it all. She disliked that her friend would purposely throw herself into danger.

It was a quiet, warm night. They were alone in the office. An elongated window revealed the endless ocean horizon, and the room was softly lit by a desk lamp in the back. Though there were tables and cabinets perfectly sanitized and proper, the back of the room held a series of bunks, blanket and closets. There wasn’t enough room on the ship to keep everything separate. Sydney was sitting on the bed, Jamie behind her, smoothing out a bandage on her neck.

“Sydney, I care about you.” She mused, “I love that you’re going out and living your dream, but… You’re hurting yourself.”

“I’m not. If I had platelets like a normal person, I wouldn’t look this bad.”

“Yes, but, as your doctor, let me just say… you aren’t … normal.”

“I know, and that’s fine! Don’t say it so weird. I’m not offended. It’s a truth. But what I am saying is that it only looks bad because of that fact. If I were ‘normal’, I wouldn’t look so gross. I’d still be doing the same things, though… Does that make sense?”

“I supposed.”

Dr. Hope leaned back, “Do you have anything on your chest? Or stomach?”

“Um. I- Yeah.”

“Could you show me?”

“Well. I’d have to take my shirt off.”

“That’s fine, I’m not going to do anything weird. I’ve got to make sure you’re alright.”

Sydney slid off her top. Her stomach was red, and an obvious bruise was spread across her right breast. Her chest was lightly covered by a cloth bra.

“Okay… I’m sorry if this is strange.”

“No, it’s alright.”

Dr. Hope pressed lightly around the bruises, and examined her skin. She checked for scratches, or specific types of bleeding. In doing so, the two of them became particularly close; their faces  smiled awkwardly at each other.

“You look alright,” She said, “They aren’t too big. Are they bothering you?”

Sydney stuttered, “Uh, no. They’re fine.”

Jamie’s hands moved softly and courteously across her body. Then suddenly, she took her hands away and began to remove herself, but Sydney stopped her. She put an arm across her legs to keep her seated.

“Um. Hey…” She was nervous, “Y’know… um.”

Slowly, softly, Sydney bent in for a kiss. Jamie returned it, though slightly, as both of them were unsure of their feelings. Was it an act of passion, or an act of love? Neither knew. They didn’t go so far as to grab each other, but instead ended up holding hands. The moment would be held in Sydney’s heart indefinitely.

In the week following the event, their relationship did not change. They continued on as they had beforehand, only now with a strange tension between them. Whether or not it was good or bad, no one could say.

Now a good four months into the expedition, they finally arrived at Kolai; only a boat’s ride away from the intimidating Monsuta island. Doctors began their routine procedures- setting up tents and stations, stockpiling tables with necessary equipment- whilst Jamie wandered somewhere else. She was walking with Sydney further down the dock. They didn't speak, but remained close. It wasn’t a cold silence but rather a mutual feeling of sorrow. Side by side they reached an outstretched port; an intimidating man stood at the end of a walkway, taking tickets as people boarded the ship behind him. Sydney turned to her,

“I guess… this is it.”

“Yeah…”

Jamie's voice crackled, “I- I'm going to miss you.”

“Me too.”

They looked at each other warmly. There was a mutual sadness emanating between them, each side knowing how much it hurt. It was like a love that neither admitted, yet secretly knew. They 

“You'll… I mean, you're coming back, right?”

“Oh, of course.”

Jamie flashed a smile and the two hugged one another, embracing for one long moment, before Sydney admitted that she really did have to leave. She turned around, and handed her ticket to the  Usher . From there she crossed the platform onto the deck, and stuffed herself inside the crowded room; not once did Sydney decide to look back.


	7. Chapter 6 - Monsuta Islet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is where the writing quality starts to improve.

Monsuta island proved to be as enormous as everyone had rumored. At least, from what she could see; the entire edge of the island was lined by an enormous metal wall. The docks led to two simple doors: one spray painted “IN” and one painted “OUT”. The in-door was worn down, and had clearly seen some use. Its spray was faded and the rest of it was covered in dents and various other graffiti. The out-door, however, was cemented in place, sunk into the dirt, and clearly hadn't been moved in an eternity. The metal was bubbling outwards, indicating that something of massive force must have been pushing on it from the inside.

Sydney hesitantly, slowly, approached the door. She would’ve asked someone for assistance, but when the ship dropped her off she was the only one to leave. Sydney decided to give it a knock, as there was no handle, and instantaneously the metal giant let out a creak and slowly slid backwards across the tracks. Sydney peered inside as the door scraped open.

It was a gigantic deserted wasteland; not exactly a desert, but completely empty and horribly hot. She stepped in, and the door slammed behind her at incredible speed, smacking against the wall with a horrid clank. Sydney's heart sank as she realized she wasn't going to be leaving anytime soon. Softly, she took a couple steps forward into the island. There was no turning back now, as she wandered off into the nowhere scape. She walked for about a mile, hot and slowly falling into a panic, before hearing an an enormous boom come from deep into the distance. She scanned the horizon, and noticed, in the sky, a flare blazed high and burned a vibrant neon yellow.

Desperately she aligned herself with it and began a stride towards its source. Even if it wasn't the tournament, at least she'd be able to find people, directions, and perhaps an explanation on what on earth Monsuta really was. Sydney didn't waste time and trudged with purpose through the dust and sand. But then, a sound had started. A humming sound, distant at first, but rising slowly and ominously, rumbling the ground beneath her and steadily surrounding her. Sydney looked around, up, down, behind her, but couldn't find the source. It was growing louder now, vibrating the innards of her ears, and Sydney tripped over her feet as an elongated, revving limousine extended from the surrounding dunes, spraying a sheath of sand behind its tires as it zoomed straight past her. Then, it turned around, then again, and again, circling Sydney and embezzling her with dirt and rocks and driving rings into the earth before screeching to a halt. Sydney had been crouched on the ground, unmoving with her head tucked beneath her elbows, but she uncovered herself to catch sight of her offender. The limo door clicked open, and from it rose a black, goldeneye Anubis. His ears were appointed, his snout elongated, and his height to the point where every inch of him could look down on the dirted woman. He spoke nothing as some of his entourage rolled down their windows to gawk and spew at the new kid on the block.

At first, she was taken aback; she had only heard stories of these precarious “monster folk”. They were real- I mean, of course they were real- but to see one in the flesh with its misshapen head and incorrect body made her nevertheless uncomfortable.

Sydney tried to shake it off, “Excuse me? What was that for?”

“Entertainment,” he replied coldly.

She scoffed, “Really? You get a kick out of crap like that?”

“Oh,” He said, “Not for us.”

“Well it sure seems like they get a laugh out of it.”

The dog's friends continued to snicker and guffaw from the van.

“It doesn't matter to me what my associates think. Only what Ira thinks.”

He began to walk towards her.

“Wait,” Sydney said, “Who's Ira?”

But the Anubis wasn't for talking. He kicked her as she sat on the ground, “Why are you here if you don't know who Ira is?”

Sydney sprung from the sod and lunged at him, able to land a swift jab at his snout. The two of them struggled, Sydney's hands flying while his muddled, leading up to the dog man digging a tight grip on her neck. Sydney writhed beneath him, pushing on his chest, trying to ignore the hoots and hollers of the peanut gallery. And by mustering each bit of her strength, she grabbed him by the ears and yanked as hard as she could. There was a distinct yelp as he let go and pulled away to tend to his backwards bent ears. 

Sydney gasped and writhed on the ground as she noticed the rest of his gang was jumping out of the limo. Sydney sprung up and zoomed around the limousine, trying to outrun them, but she was tackled to the ground by an alarmingly large creature. Its weight sat on her so heavily that simply moving her head was a chore. She twisted around as far back as she could to catch sight of the enormous griffin that stood over her. Its head was that of a barn owl, and body the shape of a panther. It said nothing as it stepped on her body, both paws large enough to cover her entire back side. She was powerless against it. The rest of the crew gathered around Sydney- a harpy, an octopus, a mantis-man and more- leaving their heated cushions and champagne glasses to throw down with their newest enemy.

“Hey.”

Sydney lifted her head from where she'd buried it into the dirt. Someone was standing in front of them. She looked like she'd fit right in with the pack of loons; her body was bursting with feathers, and two small wings sat outstretched on her head, but the body language and eerie silence signaled that she was indeed not part of the entourage. The Anubis was shaken by her presence.

She waved a finger, “Don't be killing her just yet. She's here for the tournament.”

The Anubis stuttered, “I, uh, yes, Lo-”

“In fact,” she interrupted, “why don't you give her an escort? I know you don't have anything better to do.”

“Y… yes.” he mumbled.

From behind the mysterious feathered woman, a set of two wings sprouted themselves into the air. Dust flew, as a second, then third pair did the same. Six different pinions outstretched themselves from the blades of her back, propelling her into the sky so incredibly fast that it took only minutes for her to disappear.

Sydney gasped, “Woah.”

The griffin jumped off, “Get up,” said the Jackal as he stepped around her and got into the car. Sydney scraped herself off the ground and hopped into the limo alongside them.

They drove steadily, a praying mantis at the wheel and a mushroom in a cloak sitting beside him. In the rear, Sydney sat extremely squished in between a harpy whose wings were took long for her body, and an octopus who looked like she’d rather be anywhere but here. Across from the three of them, back to the drivers, sat the Anubis. His ears twitched in irritation as he stared intently, drink in hand, at the intruder in his car. All the while the griffin flew overhead, following wherever the car went.

Sydney swallowed a bit, “So um… Who was that?”

“Lou.” He answered sharply.

“Are… you guys taking me to the competition?”

“Apparently,” he made a disgusted face, before taking a sip from his glass. Sydney peered next to her; the octopus had gotten on her phone and was texting somebody. Just then, the car came to a jolting stop, throwing Sydney out of her seat and onto the carpet, though she quickly adjusted herself. The bug man let out a series of clicks and ticks as if to say “ _ We're here _ ”.

They exited the limo and were met with a large crowd. In the middle of nowhere, surrounded by endless sandy dunes, people had parked their enormous broken vehicles and were lining up around the arena. There were three tall buildings, lined up like an enormous staircase. Though upon closer inspection, one could see that these were not buildings; they were enormous pillars of rock. Like chunks of stone that had been slid out of the earth and into the sky.

At ground level there was a small shack off to the side, where a series of contestants were signing up for their place in the competition. The rest of the area was barren land, but that didn't stop people from getting riled up. They were excited, but in the terrifying, dangerous sort of way, that made you want to avoid them. The mixture of alcohol, studded jackets, extreme cars and unabashed brandishing of large guns only spelt trouble.

The shortest step in the three pillars was still about as tall as a ten-story building; too enormous to reach by any normal means. On the side just above the crowd was an enormous screen, surrounded with speakers and lights like something you'd see on a wrestling show. It was showing a view of two chairs, though with no one in them. It was pregame. On top of this platform it was totally empty, and had been roped of into four different sections. The ropes went all the way to the edge, acting as both barriers and railings. They were each simply bungees staked into the ground in the shape of a wrestling wrink, lacking in padding of any kind. The dirt they stood on out here would be the same dirt they would fight on inside.

The middle pillar was the same as the first, but without any screens. It was simply roped off for two battles to take place simultaneously.

However, the last pillar was different from the rest. The frontal half had been roped off for fighting, but the back was risen up like a small stage. Here there were two substantial speakers on either end, one camera that faced inwards towards the stage, and two chairs. The right chair had a microphone standing nearby; this was the view displayed on the screen below. By now, the platforms had to be at least 20-stories tall. 

One thing, however, that all the pillars had in common was that they were overflowing with wires, speakers, microphones and cameras. And along with that, none of them had any stairs or ladders or any way of traveling up the monstrous pathway.

Sydney's escort quickly left her while she was caught up in the spectacle, abandoning her in the unknown land. She took a breath, and went up to the small registration shack. There was a short line of people signing up for the fight, one of them being a particularly tall, brooding, and dirt-ridden man. Sydney eyed him throughout the wait, trying to see if he'd offhandedly reveal something about himself she could use against him, but it was to no avail. He never did speak. When it was her turn, Sydney gasped when she saw the ticket takers. The woman in front was bright red in color, with tall rounded horns protruding from her head. Behind her sitting on a plastic stool was that feathered woman again- Lou. The demonic looking woman put out a pair of enormous hands- ones bigger than hers or even Sydney's entire body- and said,

“It's you! The outside girl!”

People's heads turned and faced the booth, conversations quieted and faces stared intently as the woman spoke.

“You're the only one who came from off the island to join us,” Her fangs poked from beneath her lip as she smiled, “I'm looking forward to your fight.

Everyone slowly began their murmuring again, but this time with hushed voices and irritated glanced. The demon handed a registration paper to Sydney, with a bright red “ APPROVED ” stamped across it. Sydney took it and scuttled away, amazed to see that everything- including personal information- had been filled in on the scrap.

She turned to see that the booth was now empty, and the duo had moved over to the front of the pillars. The demon- which Sydney decided to refer to her as now since as she stood, she could see her hooved legs which confirmed in her mind that she was most certainly a devil- lifted her leg as though she was going to stand on the wall. Oddly, as she did, a step appeared within the rock. She moved her other leg and a second step revealed itself. When she removed her cloven hooves from a step, it disappeared entirely. It was as though the staircase only revealed itself to herself and the angel. As they first made their way, people from the audience began to crowd around then, calling out to them, and one even tried to follow them up the wall. But they simply fell into dirt; then, immediately stopped caring and began to fawn over their hostesses as the duo plopped themselves down in their cheap plastic lawn chairs. 

They appeared on the screen, and the demon woman spoke,

“Alright, things are a bit different this time around. We aren't doing it like usual- you don't get to pick your prize. Instead the prize is a small fortune of $20,000. Which I think you'll all be happy about anyway. If no one likes it, then we won't do it anymore. Simple as that. We're experimenting here,” she laughed, “But in all seriousness, let's get right to it...”

The names rang out, droning on as she told everyone where to go.

“Sydney!” She said, “You're in 4.”

Sydney walked around to the wall, in the same area the women had. Other contestants had already gotten there before her, and were making their way up to the first platform. Just as it had for the duo, the staircase reformed for them. When it came for Sydney's turn, she took her everlasting time as she slowly placed herself onto the steps. Her stride was unconfident and nervous as she wobbled upwards into the ring, which was indicated by four rabbit skulls strung on a rope and tied to the corner post.

Inside and off to the corner she took a syringe from her satchel. As discreetly as she could, she injected herself with a dosage, just to be safe.

Then, anxiously, she turned to meet her foe.


	8. Chapter 7 - Ira

Coming very soon!

It's a very long chapter, like chapter 1!

Lots of cool stuff!

Extra lore!

(Hopefully) entertaining fights!

More info on who/what Ira is!

Be on the look out <3


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